India to have world's largest clean energy-driven railway network: Goyal

Kolkata, Oct 04: The Railways has embarked on a massive electrification drive and by 2023, the country will have the world''s largest 100 per cent clean energy-driven rail transport system, Union Minister Piyush Goyal said on Sunday.

The railway minister also said that work way underway to set up an infrastructure for generating 20,000 megawatt of renewable energy, which will provide power for running the entire network.

"By 2023, the Indian Railways will be the world''s largest 100 per cent electrified rail transport system," Goyal said at the inauguration of an underground station of the citys East-West Metro corridor.

He contended that "no other part of the world, not even the most-developed country", has launched such an ambitious project.

The entire world is watching India''s massive thrust towards environment-friendly modes of transport, he said, adding that the project is a crucial part of the Union government''s initiatives to build a green nation.

Asserting that the country is marching ahead in the direction of self-reliance, Goyal said that the railways has become almost 98 per cent indigenous equipment procurer, save certain technology products, which will also be indigenised gradually.